NTSB CAROL · Event
Event CHI89DEK02
Registry · N4JK
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1B
Year of manufacture
1999
Engine
LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19990329
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4A8C1
Registrant of record
SELKIRK WINGS LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
MATERIAL FAILURE OF AN OIL LINE ALLOWING OIL TO ESCAPE AND IGNITE AS IT TOUCHED HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD SURFACES.
Factual narrative
THE PILOT OF THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER SMELLED AND SAW SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, AND NOTED A LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATION DURING CRUISE FLIGHT. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION IN A FIELD. AFTER LANDING, FLAMES WERE OBSERVED IN THE AREA OF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. TWO HANDHELD FIRE EXTINGUISHERS WERE EXPENDED ON THE FLAMES, BUT EFFORTS TO PUT OUT THE FIRE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND THE HELCIOPTER WAS DESTROYED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DETERMINED THAT OIL MOST PROBABLY WAS LEAKING FROM A SPLIT IN THE OIL PRESSURE LINE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1989_CHI89DEK02.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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